TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
This morning as I searched my refrigerator for breakfast goodies, I did not have to search long. Side note: Breakfast is my favorite, and in my opinion, the most important meal of the day. (Yum!) There was everything I could have wanted to include in my breakfast and more, just sitting before me waiting to be cooked and eaten. The coffee pot was screaming my name to begin my fresh brew of the day.
My heart was overwhelmed with gratitude and I could not help but smile as I thought about what a great team my husband and I make. I will admit our marriage is not in the least bit perfect, but what marriage is? I’ll wait…right, as I thought. However, it is the little things that make my heart pitter patter at the thought of him, when I’m not calling his name between clenched teeth for leaving the toilet seat cover up or forgetting to close the trash can properly, that is. Wives, you must know what I am talking about!
Nonetheless, I would be crazy not to recognize him for his support and assistance in our home. Let me rewind a bit in case you are wondering what any of this has to do with breakfast and the food in my refrigerator staring back at me this morning. Not only is my husband working his tail off every day all the daylong to provide for our family, he is also involved in the praise and worship team at our home church. He is in church all week long except for Friday nights, and Saturday mornings he participates in our church’s softball league. Can you blame a girl for bragging a bit? I am blessed!
Despite his lack of free time, he manages to do our groceries. Yes, my husband does our groceries. How lucky am I? I might make odd visits to the grocery store for a quick item or two once in a blue, but he’s the one who does our big grocery runs regularly. Here is why. In case you have not already learned, I have a 2 year old and a 9 month old. My 9 month old is a beast to say the least! He is about the same weight as my 2 year old and he is solid. However, he is not walking yet so I have to carry him in and out of the vehicle, in and out of stores, etc. You can understand how it can become a huge task if I had to do this while lugging bags upon bags of groceries around. Not to mention, my 2 year old falls asleep on the car ride home 90% of the time, which means I have to make two trips just to get both babies in the house. It’s not that I cannot do it. If I had to do it, sure I would, but the beauty is I do not have to because my husband shares the weight of my responsibility with me.
At the moment, we live in an apartment, which greets us with a 14-step staircase as soon as we open our door. Imagine walking up that many steps with bags on your arms, a 2 year old over your shoulder and a carrier with a nearly 30 lb. baby in it barely hanging on your arm. By the way, I am not that big myself. I think it is safe to say I am a petite woman in general. Thankfully, God has blessed me with a man who thinks about his wife and children and would rather take the grocery trips in our place just so we will not be heavily inconvenienced and he does not feel too “manly” to do so. Do not be mistaken. He still wears the pants! ;-)
I share all of this with you simply to highlight the importance of remembering you and your spouse are on the same team, not in competition. Your goals, your dreams, your aspirations are now merged for the future of your family. Instead of feeling like you have lost yourself or your past goals in your marriage, why not recognize that you in fact gained a team player to help you achieve those goals so long as you are on the same page? In fact, I dare say you can now improve upon your original goals and aim higher as one. After all, teamwork makes the dream work!
Highlight some of the ways you and your spouse work as a team in the 'COMMENTS' below.